Young Boys vs Inter Prediction: 24/10/2024

As anticipated, the Young Boys have struggled significantly in their first two Champions League matches. They failed to score in both games, suffering heavy defeats against Aston Villa (0-3) and Barcelona (5-0). Despite being the reigning Swiss champions for two consecutive years, the team from Bern has had a dreadful start to their domestic league campaign this season.

They currently sit at the bottom of the table, with only 6 points from 9 matches. Their lone win came in a 4-1 victory over a struggling Winterthur side on matchday 7, but they followed it with losses to Grasshoppers (0-1) and Basel (0-1) before the international break. As a result, head coach Patrick Rahmen was dismissed. Last weekend, the club faced league leaders Lucerne.

Inter Milan, last year’s Champions League runners-up, are aiming to compete at the top once again this season. The Italian side started their European campaign well, securing a valuable 0-0 draw against Manchester City and following it up with a convincing 4-0 victory over Red Star Belgrade on matchday two.

Domestically, Inter are also faring well, sitting second in Serie A, just two points behind Napoli. Their only league defeat so far came against rivals AC Milan (1-2). Since then, Simone Inzaghi’s side has eked out narrow wins over Udinese (3-2) and Torino (2-3) before the international break. Last weekend, they faced Roma.

For the Young Boys, key defender Janko, who has been out since the start of the season, remains unavailable this week. Also missing are substitute player Benito (formerly of Bordeaux) and summer signings Pfeiffer (defender) and Conte (forward, ex-Bastia). Itten (1 league goal) and Ganvoula (4 league goals) will be competing for a spot upfront.

Promising defender Zoukrou, who was developed at Troyes, is fit to play, as is winger Monteiro (3 goals and 1 assist in the league), who was called up to the Swiss national team during the break. Attacking midfielder Ugrinic (1 league goal) is also available. On the Inter side, midfielder Barella is still recovering from injury and will be unavailable.

Additionally, winger Buchanan is sidelined. Despite these absences, Inter still boasts a strong lineup. Simone Inzaghi rested several key players during their last Champions League match, so attackers Marcus Thuram (7 goals in Serie A) and Lautaro Martinez (2 goals in Serie A) could start this time.

Turkish midfielder Hakan Calhanoglu continues to play a pivotal role for the team, as do Italian internationals Bastoni and Dimarco. Midfielder Frattesi, who was called up to the Italian national team, could replace the injured Barella.

 

Prediction

When Inter plays in the Champions League, goals are almost always guaranteed, as 21 of their last 21 matches have seen the deadlock broken. Meanwhile, Young Boys are on a run of 14 consecutive games with over 2.5 goals. The last meeting between these two sides ended in a 1-1 draw back in November.

Prediction: Young Boys 1-3 Inter